Pacific Women Mediating and Deconstructing Traditional Security for Inclusive Peacebuilding

We began 2025, looking ahead to the 25th anniversary of UNSCR1325, developing recommendations in anticipation of Pacific Forum Leaders adopting their Women, Peace and Security Guidance Note and their first declaration on peacebuilding.

This policy brief from the Pacific Women Mediators Network highlights how the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration provides an opportunity for a revitalised Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security to guide national and regional processes to reshape political processes in line with the pillars of participation, protection, prevention, relief, recovery, and healing. This can ensure enhancing civilian oversight in security sector governance, integrating inclusive peacebuilding practice and human security analysis in conflict prevention and supporting civil society led and diverse inter-generational action at regional and national levels to define peace, including reducing militarism and militarization.

Drawing on the legacy, including the work of GPPAC Pacific (2009 – 2023) and the convenings of the Pacific Women Mediators Network (2023 – 2025), it highlights initiatives led by Pacific Island women peacebuilders and mediators and civil society allies, including from faith community, to demonstrate how formal inter-governmental processes, strategies and mechanisms can be strengthened by inclusive and community driven national and regional peacebuilding and conflict prevention strategies co-designed with local communities and peacebuilding networks.

Our recommendations are for government officials, donors, development partners and the UN on how they can increase investment for an impactful peacebuilding architecture in the Pacific that links all initiatives for peacebuilding and conflict prevention across all levels and institution 1) in a way that is gender-just, ethical and culturally grounded rooted in ethical, spiritual, and intergenerational wisdom, 2) where community voices shape ideas, policy, and national strategies are substantively connected, and 3) arising from the grassroots, reverberating through formal and informal power structures and processes. #ShePersistedforPeace